


The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

by Imperium



Category: Marvel 616
Genre: Canon Divergence, Guilt, Hurt/Comfort, Isolation, M/M, Post Civil War, STONY Bingo 2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-30
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-06-18 17:48:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15491328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imperium/pseuds/Imperium
Summary: Steve survives the courthouse and is successfully prosecuted for lifetime imprisonment. Over they years, Steve and Tony attempt to talk(and miss each other a whole lot but we're not talking about that)





	The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MiniRaven](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiniRaven/gifts).



The first time Tony comes to visit Steve, he’s resplendent in his golden armor. He walks to Steve with the confidence of the conquering victor; doubtless, arrogant,so sure of himself.

Civility hardly lasts and soon they’re screaming at each other over the bars, hurling accusations and below the belt blows. 

Tony walks away when Steve calls him a tyrant. 

He’s always hated the hard truths.

Steve doesn't see Tony for the next 364 days 14 hours and 36 minutes.

Not that he was counting.

———————

The second time Tony goes to Steve, he puts on an Armani. Debatably stronger than iron and steel.

Steve leans by the wall, legs stretched insolently. Challenging him, so firm in his own beliefs. 

Steve wouldn’t sell his soul to save the world. Tony knew that; he had always known that.

Tony wants to shake him.

They sit in front of each other, neither of them willing to give in and extend an olive branch. Its  
not like that had ever worked well for them. 

Soon they are screaming, yelling so loud that Tony sees the agents outside inch away from the room.

Steve ignores Tony after he calls him a coward. It’s not like Steve could walk away.

But Tony can, so he does.  
He doesn't see Steve for the next 621 days 9 hours and 8 minutes.  
Not that he cares.  
——————

The third time Tony comes to see him, he’s dressed in a shield uniform. He looks good.

They don’t talk about anything.

Tony leaves after about an hour of awkward silence.

Steve doesn’t see Tony for so long after, he loses count.  
—————————————  
The fourth time Tony comes to visit Steve, his clothes are ripped and torn, his hair smoking behind him. He looks like he stepped off an micrwave. Steve feels a hysterical laugh bubble up from somewhere deep within.

He sits on the floor against the bars facing outside, his back to Steve. Was that a gesture of trust ? Of Vulnerability ? Steve can’t understand Tony any better now than he could all those years ago. However long before.

He silently walks forward, puts his back to Tony’s and hums an old song his mother used to sing.

Eventually Tony’s shoulders begin to shake in silent sobs.

Steve is just glad Tony hadn’t forgotten him. Isolation was hard.  
—————————  
The fifth time Tony goes to visit Steve, he’s no longer the Director of Shield. Osborne had taken that from him too. Tony cannot remember much. Only that he wanted to write to Cap. But on a whim, decided to visit him instead. Its not like he could leave without saying goodbye.

He sneaks into the guard rooms, tracing familiar steps to Steve’s wing.

Steve looks up as he comes in, a childish look of delight on his face. Neither of them fared well in loneliness.

Tony wonders what kind of monster could have done that to Steve. 

He walks forward and absently places his hand on the bars, Steve struggles to his feet, worn and thin, places his hand over Tony’s.

On hindsight, it wasn’t a hard decision at all.

Tony breaks him out.  
—————  
Steve feels weird and disjointed in the real world. He had gotten so used to the boring colors of his prison cell. The vibrancy of life scares him. He holds Tony’s hand tightly.

The old Steve may have felt stupid and horrified at what he was doing. The new Steve is just glad for the company. He’s even more glad that it is Tony. He’s so happy his heart might burst.

There’s something different about Tony too. He clings to Steve like a child, holding his hand just as tight.  
Earlier they might have both left bruises.

Its not that they won't, its that they can't.  
—————  
Tony is worried. He wouldn’t tell Steve of course. Steve trusts him so blindly and faithfully.

But he’s staring at the hotel clerk wildly, having no idea how much to pay them. The meager dollar bills Tony has left are complicated and difficult to understand. He shrugs and gives them half of what he has.

The stern woman raises an eyebrow at him, peering at him over top her glasses. Tony gives her everything he has left, his heart beating so hard in his chest. He couldn’t have Steve sleep in the road again.

The woman gives a superior sniff, whisks his cash away and pushes a rusty key over the table. Tony takes it, running the metal over in his hands curiously. 

At another look, he scampers off into the lobby, taking Steve’s hand and pulling him away from a large painting he had been staring at. Did Steve like paintings ? Tony doesn’t remember. He’d buy it for Steve if he could. Maybe he just needs to figure out how.

————  
Steve curls into Tony in the bed, gently tracing his fingers. He takes Tony’s hand in his own and kisses his knuckles.

Tony looks up at him and smiles sweetly.

Steve feels a gentle thrum of contentment.

They get kicked out the next day.  
————  
Steve wakes up in a hospital some two weeks later. Maria Hill looks down at him worriedly.

Steve struggles to sit up the Agent hurriedly placing pillows behind him to support his back.

“What happened?” even his voice is hoarse.

She looks at him speculatively, as though wondering if he could handle it. She then shakes her head in frustration. “You had an accident. You almost died.” She runs an exhausted hand through her hair. “We’d all been tracking you for weeks. Ever since Tony completely went off radar and two days later, you went missing.  
“We finally cornered you both by the Afghanistan border. It was almost too late.” She looks at him and responds to the unasked question. “We don’t know where he is. He wasn’t there when we arrived.”

Steve closes his eyes and pretends that Tony leaving him behind wasn’t something he was used to.

Hill hovers awkwardly around his bed for a few minutes before hastening out.

Steve feels colder than he had in the ice.  
———————  
Osborne beats Tony up on National Television.

Tony’s victorious look reminds Steve of the first time he had walked into his cell. Steve almost misses that Tony.  
—————  
Tony being in a coma, and Steve wishing he’d wake up is a frighteningly normal thing in their lives.

Steve hadn’t left Tony’s bedside since he had awakened. He’d let the others decide what was to become of Tony. For now, he’d just luxuriate in his presence. He took Tony’s hand in his own, tracing the scarred knuckles he had just kissed a few days ago. With Tony gone, it had felt like a lifetime.

He buries his face in the bedding, squeezing Tony’s hand tightly.

‘I won’t let them hurt you again,’ he promises quietly. ‘I won’t let anyone hurt you.’ He feels like a child wanting to hold the moon in his hands. He doesn’t really care.  
———  
Tony wakes up to Steve. His eyes are red-rimmed and swollen. He’s thin and weak and so pale he’s almost translucent. He’s still the most beautiful thing Tony has ever seen.

Steve gives him a thousand watt smile and kisses his hair.

Tony feels safe for the first time in over ten years.  
——  
They decide to leave, retreat is the official story. Vacation is the real one.

They go to one of Tony’s smaller recently reacquired properties. It’s a small cottage with a lovely ocean view.

Pepper had given Tony an understanding - but not quite look before they left. Tony wished he had something nicer to say to her. He nodded to her politely, and shook her hand.It felt painfully formal until she gave a broken laugh, her eyes shining - with pride? . She’d always been so graceful, worth so much more than what Tony could give her, She had deserved better than him, but then again so did Steve, and yet...

He opened the door, and walked in throwing his luggage in one of the spacious rooms. He leaned by the large window, the cool sea breeze messing his hair up. He feels rather than sees Steve slide in next to him, he leans his head down on his elbows and Tony gently pats his hair. Steve takes his hand and tugs it close, placing a kiss on his knuckles.

It had been 10 years, 15 days and 43 minutes since Tony had arrested Steve.

Not that they needed to count anymore.

——————-


End file.
